An introduction to OLED displays

Article last updated on: Apr 14, 2018

What is an OLED?

OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) is a flat light emitting technology, made by placing a series of organic thin films between two conductors. When electrical current is applied, a bright light is emitted. OLEDs are emissive display that do not require a backlight and so are thinner and more efficient than LCD displays (which do require a white backlight).

OLED displays are not just thin and efficient - they provide the best image quality ever and they can also be made transparent, flexible, foldable and even rollable and stretchable in the future. OLEDs represent the future of display technology!

Better durability - OLEDs are very durable and can operate in a broader temperature range

The future - flexible and transparent OLED displays

As we said, OLEDs can be used to create flexible and transparent displays. This is pretty exciting as it opens up a whole world of possibilities:

Curved OLED displays, placed on non-flat surfaces

Wearable OLEDs

Foldable OLEDs which can be used to create new mobile devices

Transparent OLEDs embedded in windows or car windshdields

And many more we cannot even imagine today...

Flexible OLEDs are already on the market, and it is believed that in 2018 companies will start producing foldable OLED mobile phones. The future will bring us much more exciting displays, so stay tuned!

So what's organic about OLEDs?

OLEDs are organic because they are made from carbon and hydrogen. There's no connection to organic food or farming - although OLEDs are very efficient and do not contain any bad metals - so it's a real green technology.

Where can I find an OLED display today?

OLEDs are used today in mobile phones, digital cameras, VR headsets, tablets, laptops and TVs. Samsung is the clear leader in OLED production for mobile devices, and the company uses OLEDs in all of their flagship devices, including the latest Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note 8. Apple is using an OLED in its flagship iPhone X (and also in other products) and so do many other companies including Motorola, Dell, Google, Sony, Microsoft, LG, Huawei, Xiaomi, and Lenovo are also using OLEDs in many of their devices.

OLEDs are used in mobile devices today because they are thin, efficient, flexible and bright. OLEDs carry a price premium over LCDs, but companies are using these displays more and more as performance increases and prices decrease. Here's our list of products and gadgets with an OLED display. If you are looking to adopt an OLED display in your own device, our OLED Marketplace is the world's most comprehensive OLED display catalog.

OLED TVs

OLED is the best display technology - and indeed OLED panels are used today to create the most stunning TVs ever - with the best image quality combined with the thinnest sets ever. And this is only the beginning, as in the future OLED will enable large rollable and transparent TVs!

Currently the only company that produces OLED TV panels is LG Display. The Korean display maker is making 55", 65" and 77" 4K OLED panels, offering them to TV makers. Not surprisingly, LG Electronics is the leading OLED TV maker, but other companies such as Panasonic, Sony, Philips and others also offering OLED TVs that are based on LG's panels.

OLED disadvantages

OLEDs aren't perfect. First of all, it costs more to produce an OLED than it does to produce an LCD - although this should hopefully change in the future, as OLEDs has a potential to be even cheaper than LCDs because of their simple design (some believe that future OLEDs will be printed using simple ink-jet processes).

OLEDs have limited lifetime (like any display, really), that was quite a problem a few years ago. But there has been constant progress, and today this is almost a non-issue. Today OLEDs last long enough to be used in mobile devices and TVs. OLEDs can also be problematic in direct sunlight, because of their emmissive nature. But companies are working to make it better, and newer AMOLEDs (such as Samsung's Super AMOLED and Super AMOLED Plus and Nokia's CBD displays) are quite good in that respect - some even consider them superior to LCDs.

Can OLEDs produce white lighting?

Yes, OLEDs actually make for a great light source. OLEDs offer diffuse area lighting and can be flexible, efficient, light, thin, transparent, color-tunable and more. OLEDs will probably be used in completely new lighting designs.

Companies all over the world, including LG, OSRAM, GE, Lumiotec, Pioneer and others are working towards OLED lighting. Many companies are already offering samples and low-volume panels, but prices are still very high as production volume is low.

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